"You look like you had a fun time with Cat Noir tonight," Tikki teases as Marinette changes into her pajamas.
"Of course I did. Even if he's flirty and never takes anything serious, he's a really good friend." Tikki face palms as Marinette climbs into bed. "He can be funny, too. Sometimes." She starts scrolling through her phone.
Tikki pats her head. "Don't you have school in the morning, Marinette?"
"Just a few minutes, Tikki." Marinette pushes her kwami away and keeps staring at her phone. A notification pops up. "Adrien posted!" She taps on the alert and her jaw drops. "He posted about... me?!" Adrien posted a selfie from their baking the other day. They're both covered in flour. In the picture, his arm is around Marinette's shoulder. She reads the caption: Two Baking Disasters
Marinette can't help but grin. "Two baking disasters... I can't believe Adrien posted about me!" She celebrates in bed, weirdly dancing, and gasps when someone knocks on the trap door. She crawls over and squints. Cat Noir waves. Laughing, she climbs out to sit on her balcony. "Two visits in one night, Kitty? I didn't realize I had won something."
"Could be three visits if you want to see me so bad," Cat Noir teases, leaning down close to her face. "Someone looks happy tonight."
"Look!" Marinette turns her phone around and shows Cat Noir the post. "Adrien, that guy I told you I like? He posted a selfie of us!"
Teasing, Cat Noir says, "I thought he'd look cuter."
Marinette slaps his arm. "Of course he's cuter." She stares at the photo again and frowns.
"What's wrong?"
"I still have no idea if Adrien likes me back." She shuts her phone off and hugs her arms to her chest. "I'm too scared to tell him how I feel. I can't even get a sentence out without messing up. I always make a fool out of myself. Ugh!" She covers her face with her hands. "I'm so lame."
"Why don't you tell Adrien tomorrow?" Cat Noir asks as Marinette snaps her head up. "You like Ladybug, right?" She nods slowly. "Ladybug's confident. Pretend to be Ladybug."
"That's not real confidence, though, Cat Noir."
Winking, he says, "Fake it 'til you make it."
"You really think I should?" Cat Noir nods and she smiles. "Okay. I'm going to tell Adrien tomorrow morning before school. What could go wrong?"
"You throw up on him? Trip and fall and push him in front of a bus?" Marinette glares as he continues. "Accidentally propose and then you're stuck with him for life?" That wouldn't be so bad, though.
"I get it, Cat Noir."
"You know I'm just teasing." Cat Noir starts playing with one of Marinette's ponytails. "You should wear your hair down."
Marinette looks up at him. "Really? You think he'd like that?"
Cat Noir smiles. "I think he'd love that."
***
"You can do this, Marinette!" Alya pats Marinette's shoulder as the two hide near the stairs, waiting for Adrien to show up. "This is it. No take backs. Okay?"
Marinette nods, taking in a deep breath. "Okay. You're right. I need to do this. I wonder where Adrien is." She peeks out, squinting, and screams when she notices Adrien already standing there. Embarrassed, she stands up and laughs. "Oh! Hi, Adrien!"
"Hey, Marinette." Adrien waves. "Why are you hiding behind the stairs?"
"Hiding? I wasn't hiding." She glances down at Alya, grabbing her arm and jerking her up. "I was helping Alya find her glasses. There." She slaps Alya's face. "She has them now."
Alya looks between the two, smiling. "I'm going to look for Nino." She elbows Marinette and from behind Adrien she makes a hand heart before skipping up the stairs.
"Bye, Alya," Adrien and Marinette say at the same time.
Marinette walks around, tripping, and falls face first into Adrien's shirt. "I'm sorry," She mumbles, straightening her shoulders. "Adrien? I need to tell you something."
His heart starts racing, the beat echoing from ear to ear. He knew Plagg would tease him about it later.
"I..." She takes in a deep breath. Be like Ladybug. Be confident. "We've become really good friends. Best friends! B-But I've always seen you as more than a best friend. I really like you, Adrien. Like, like like. As more than a friend."
Adrien doesn't say anything at first, and Marinette starts to panic. Had she said the wrong thing? Cat Noir had told her to do this. As she goes to leave, he reaches out for her hand. "I really like you, too, Marinette. As more than a friend."
Marinette's eyes widen. "Really? For real?"
Nodding, Adrien steps closer, wrapping his arms around Marinette's waist. Before kissing her, he asks, "May I?" She nods and smiles. He cups her cheek and kisses her, slowly melting into her touch.
Alya stands at the top of the stairs with Nino, secretly recording. They share a fist bump. "I told you they'd eventually get together."
Chloe walks out and gasps at the sight. "Ugh! What is he doing kissing that second rate peasant?"
"Jealous, Chloe?" Nino asks, crossing his arms. She stomps off, angry, and Alya and Nino laugh her off.
Adrien pulls back, holding Marinette's hand in his. "I'm sorry I didn't see it before, but I've always known you meant more to me than just a friend. You're special, Marinette, and I'm an idiot for not seeing it sooner."
Perfectly content, Marinette hugs Adrien and sighs. "I just can't believe I did that. You have no idea how long I wanted to tell you."
They walk hand in hand to class. He looks over and asks, "What made you want to tell me today?"
Cat Noir. "I got a confidence boost."
***
After school, Adrien convinces his bodyguard to wait at the park so he and Marinette can get ice cream and walk around Paris. He has one hour before he's supposed to be home for piano lessons. They walk up to the fountain, hand in hand, and Adrien smiles at Marinette. She takes two coins out of her pocket. "Wanna make a wish?"
He takes one. "I've already gotten everything I've wished for."
"You can always wish more more," Marinette says, closing her eyes as she tosses her coin in the fountain. "There's nothing wrong with that."
"I guess you're right." Adrien closes his eyes. I wish that one day Marinette will love all of me. Mask or no mask. He tosses the coin and when he opens his eyes, Marinette is already smiling at him.
"Does this mean we're boyfriend and girlfriend now?" She asks as they sit down at a park bench.
"If that's okay with you."
"Yes!" She cheers. "I mean, it's completely okay with me."
Adrien grabs her hand. "I want you to be perfectly comfortable around me, Marinette. That includes your stammering and excitement and your clumsiness."
"How are we supposed to act as boyfriend and girlfriend?" Marinette gestures to their hands. "I know they do this, but what else?"
"Don't worry. I'm new to this, too." Adrien pulls Marinette closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. She grins. "We can learn together."
"Totally awesome..." She whispers, still gleaming at her new boyfriend.
Adrien looks up at two birds flying together. "You have no idea how nervous I am right now, Marinette."
"You can't possibly be as nervous as I am," She counters.
"You'd think, but my heart is going crazy in my chest." That statement alone causes Marinette's grin to turn into a huge smile. "I didn't mean to say that out loud."
"It's okay. It's sweet." Sighing, she lays her head on Adrien's shoulder. She grabs Adrien's free hand and holds it to her chest. If it weren't for Cat Noir and his little speech on her balcony, she wouldn't be sitting here with Adrien right now. Her eyes widen. She remembers her big secret: Ladybug. That's the only secret she's keeping from him. He'd understand if he knew, right? Super heros have to protect their secret identity.
Adrien's phone beeps. He has ten minutes before he has to go home. Standing up, he leads Marinette to his car. "I had a really great time, Marinette."
"All we did was eat ice cream and walk around," Marinette says, laughing.
"It was still nice." In the car, Adrien and Marinette face each other, neither one daring to look away. "Every moment I spend with you is nice." Blushing, Marinette looks away and plays with her hand. Adrien smiles and grabs it, lifting it up to kiss it. His bodyguard grunts and they look up. They're already at the bakery. Adrien climbs out first, going around to open the door on Marinette's side. He walks her to the door. They face each other. "Is it okay if I kiss you again, Marinette?"
"Of course." She stands on her toes and leans in to kiss Adrien. "You know, you don't have to keep asking to kiss me."
Adrien scratches the back of his neck. "Yeah, I know, but I just want you to be one hundred percent comfortable around me. I don't want to accidentally step over any boundaries."
The bakery door opens. Tom and Sabine stand here, eyes wide and jaws dropped. Tom glances down at their hands, then back at them. "Does that mean what I think it means? Are you two finally together?!" Marinette nodss slowly and screams as Tom hugs them both, squeezing too tight. "I knew you were better than Cat Noir, Adrien."
Adrien nervously laughs.
Sabine pats Tom's arm. "Okay, honey. I think they need to breath now. Would you like to stay for dinner, Adrien?"
"I—" Adrien's bodyguard honks. "I would love to, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng, but my father is really tight about my schedule.
"Maybe another time," Marinette says, wishing her parents would shut the door so she can kiss Adrien again.
Adrien faces Marinette, wanting to kiss her, but with her parents and his bodyguard watching, he's starting to get nervous. "I'll, uh, see you at school tomorrow, Marinette."
"Bye, Adrien." She throws her arms around Adrien and hugs him, breathing in his scent.
Adrien waves to Marinette and her parents before climbing in his car. She starts dancing and cheering as the car disappears around the corner. She walks into the bakery with her parents. "I can't believe I'm dating Adrien!"